Betrayal of Friends
by frigginapplepie
Summary: Everyone in the Order of the Phoenix knew that things would get harder when the Potters went into hiding, but just how hard was still unclear. Spoilers for obvious reasons.


Disclaimer: I own thee not. If I did, it would be all about the Marauders.

Chapter One:The Impossible Truth

"No, Harry. . . . No, no, don't pull mummy's hair! No, Harry, HARRY!"

The little boy giggled gleefully as his mother shrieked. He took the spoon that his mother had dropped and pounded it against the tray of his highchair, laughing uncontrollably. As his fist came down, it caught the edge of the bowl, flipping it over and sending baby food all over at odd directions.

Angered, Lily Potter let out an annoyed growl. "Ooh, I swear, Harry James Potter, you take after your troublesome father more then you know! Maybe just a bit too much."

This just brought out more laughter fromt the infant. He hollared and hooted like only an enlightened child can. Though flustered, as Lily crossed the kitchen floor to the counter, she smiled. Yes, though it was a completely crazy and hectic life, it was exactly what she wanted.

Lily snatched up her wand and walked back over to the highchair. She picked up the upturned bowl and spoon, muttering the incantation, "Scourgify." Bubbles shot forth from the wand point. Harry stretched out his arm as far as he could, attempting to pop the bubbles. All blotches of food vanished from the surfaces of the walls, floor, cabinets, cupboards, sink, the highchair and Harry's face.

"Amazing, isn't he?"

Lily smiled. Two strong arms snaked their way around the witch's neck. Lily moved her hands from at her sides, tucking her wand in the belt loop of her jeans, and placed them on her husband's hands. Lily and James Potter watched, beaming with pride and joy, as Harry's gaze followed after the last bubble, gasping the moment it popped.

Thw two lover stood in quiet serenity for a moment. A sudden jpopping noise jerked them both from their reverie. Shortly after, it was followed by another pop.

"James!" cried a voice urgently. "Lily!"

"In here, Sirius," James called back, leaning away and breaking apart from Lily.

A man came bustling into the room, his normally tidy hair sticking out at strange angles. Another man followed, his robes offset on his shoulders.

Deep lines of worry etched across both faces. "James," the first man said. "I can't . . . I can't believe it."

"Can't believe what, Sirius?"

Sirius Black walked over to James, grabbing him by the shoulders. "He's looking for you two. Looking for Harry. He wants to . . . . Voldemort is going to kill your family.

Lily gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. James pulled away from Sirius and put his arms around Lily, drawing her closer to him.

The other man in the room looked the couple in the eye. "The Order just found out. Dumbledore sent us to tell you. Said we'd be the best for the job, the best to break it to you." He straighted the robes out on the shoulders.

"But . . . are you . . . . Isn't there . . . . Remmy?"

Remus Lupin flattened the front of his robes with the back of his hands. "I solemnly swear it, James." Inwardly, James smiled at the use of the old school motto that had never quite faded from use. "There is no mistaking it, James. I'm sorry.

Harry's laughter had long since died away, and, as though he had been following the conversation and could understand how dire it was, burst into tears. Lily, trembling visibly, walked to the highchair and lifted the infant up, resting his head against her shoulder. "Shh," she cooed gently. "It's all right, baby, dear. It's okay. Shh . . . ." She wandered over to the counter, rocking her child soothingly, and set to making Harry a bottle of formula.

Leaving the slowing quieting wails behind them, James led Remus and Sirius into the living room. They sat down around a glass coffee table, a heavy silence befalling them.

James hung his head low. "But I don't understand," he whispered. "Why is it that Voldemort . . . ." His voice trailed off, as though he could not bring himself to complete the statement.

"Well," Sirius started slowly. "Dumbledore wouldn't let slip anything, but using our old Marauder charm-" Remus cuffed him alongside the head "-we were eventually able to weasel the slightest bit out of him. You see, it appears that Dumbledore was out finding a new Divination teacher. And, well, he found one."

"Yeah?" James arched an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm getting there!" Sirius barked. "Now, this new teacher fell into a trance, you see. According to Dumbledore, she let slip a little prophecy. Well, not quite little, so to speak, but you get the point. And some of Voldie's friends must have overheard it, because the Aurors came into the meeting and told Dumbledore that, well, you know."

"In it," Remus said, picking up with the story, "was foretold that the Dark Lord would mark one as his equal, and that . . . one must die at the hands of the other, for they both could not live at once."

"Dumbledore said that that equal is . . . ." Sirius took a deep breath. "Your son. Voldemort is going to kill your son, James, or die trying. I'm . . . I'm sorry."

James sat in horrified silence. "Is there . . . is there no other way?"

"There is," Remus intoned. "It's just a way of protection, but it still may work out for the better. Highly difficult charm. Dumbledore's idea."

"Another way?" James's head snapped up. "Remus, what? What is it?"

"You have to understand, James," Remus began. "It's a highly complex spell. Very likely that something could go wrong, and then-"

"I don't care, Remus," James snarled. "Just tell me."

Sirius looked James in the eye. In an emotionless voice, he muttered, "The Fidelius Charm. He wants you to go into hiding, James."

James stalled. Finally, he managed to stutter out, "Hiding? What good will that do against Voldemort?"

Remus and Sirius both had grim expressions on their faces. "Nothing," Remus ventured. "Nothing in the long run. But it will stall him until we have a better plan. Or at least until we find out who the traitor is."

Sirius let out a brisk, barklike laugh. "A better plan, eh, Remmy? There can be no better plan. This is the last resort. Dumbledore is desperate, you know that. We all know that. But he doesn't show it. James doesn't want to be lied to, even if it would make him feel better. Or at least, not the James that I know." James let escape a half-cocked grin. "So what of it, Jamsey-boy?" Sirius smirked. "You up for it?"

A crash reverberated through the house. Lily shrieked from the kitchen, followed shortly by the nonceasing laughter of Harry. "HARRY!" Lily scolded. "IF YOU DO THAT ONCE MORE, OOH, I SWEAR, BY MERLIN'S BEARD!"

Remus stood up. "I'm going to go see if there's something I can do to help," he told his best friends. "I'll be back in a minute, but if, by chance, I'm not, get St. Mungo's immediately." James and Sirius laughed slightly, and Remus left for the kitchen, calling, "You need any help out there, Lily?"

The two in the living room returned to their reticence. James turned towards the window. "When can it be done, Siri?" he asked. "The Fidelius Charm?"

"As soon as you find a Secret-Keeper," Sirius replied.

"You."

"What?"

"You," James reiterated. "I want you to be the Secret-Keeper. I'm sure Lily will have no complaints."

"But, James," Sirius began. "I . . . I can't, James. I . . . I just . . . ."

James got up and walked to the other side of the table, where he sat on the glass top. "Sirius Orion Black," he said firmly, placing his hands on the man's shoulders. "I've known you since before Hogwarts. Maybe fifteen years."

"Seventeen," Sirius muttered, not meeting the gaze of James.

"Whatever. But since day one, I knew I could trust you with my life. And never, not even once, have I doubted that since then. You're my best friend. My child's godfather . . . . You're every bit of family as Lily and Harry and Remus are. Please, Sirius. You're the perfect person for the job. And if you're not going to do this for me, do it for them. Do it for Harry. For Lily."

Sirius didn't speak for a while. But finally, in a voice barely to be heard above the threesome in the kitchen, he said, "Okay, Prongs. I'll do it."

So there you go! Chapter One! If you guys have any suggestions or complaints, tell me by typing it into that little box down there. See it? Do you hear it calling to you? I think you do. Return here often for the next chapters! I love you all! 


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